Rich Harden isnâ€™t a pitcher. Heâ€™s a health hazard. Even without Barry Zito and Frank Thomas, itâ€™s easy to squint into the March desert sun and see the Athletics playing deep into October.

Harden is the reason. Sure Danny Haren, Esteban Loaiza, Joe Blanton and Joe Kennedy will help. But Harden has the kind of talent that makes people stop taking bites of $1 hot dogs â€“ as they sold today â€“ and drop their jaw to pavement. Harden, from the same part of Canada as Jeff Francis, possesses a 98 mph fastball and a breaking ball that turns knees into pudding.

Hitters would rather chew through concrete than face Harden. Today, Harden struck out nine of the 14 batters he faced, including five of the first six. Itâ€™s rare a major league pitchers mows through a lineup the way Harden did today. That he was working with a liberal strike zone only cemented his domination and angered the Rockies.

When Harden fanned Steve Finley on a check swing to end the third inning, Finley went ballistic. Apparently upset with previous calls earlier in the game, Finley was tossed after airing a compliant. That led to a one-sided screaming match, with Finley in the face of umpire Tony Randazzo as manager Clint Hurdle quickly raced to get between the two.

I predicted Harden to win the Cy Young award last season, whiffing because of his injuries. But seeing his talent for the first time since the ALCS, when he pitched after a long layoff, itâ€™s hard not to see him winning 20 games. In fact, if he stays healthy, the Aâ€™s will win the division again.

Around the horn
Josh Fogg will pitch in Fridayâ€™s B game with Kim throwing against the Giants in Scottsdale. It makes sense. The Rockies are shopping Kim and there will be a heck of a lot more scouts in Scottsdale that at a minor-league game in Tucson. â€¦

Jason Hirsh survived a rocky start â€“ walking the bases loaded â€“ to finish with a solid line: five innings, three hits, one run, three walks and three strikeouts. Of Hirshâ€™s first 24 pitches, only nine were strikes. He finished with 79 pitches and 41 strikes.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.